The Nobel Prize

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The Nobel Prize is a novel by Andreas Eschbach that was published by Lübbe Verlag in September 2005 . An audio book version is also available in stores. The background to the plot is a Nobel Prize award ceremony in Stockholm , which is manipulated by a pharmaceutical company. The book is similar in name and theme to the novel The Prize by Irving Wallace (1962; filmed in 1963).

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Hans-Olof Anderson is a member of the Nobel Prize Committee for Medicine. Seeking help, he turns to his brother-in-law Gunnar Forsberg, who has been imprisoned for burglary and industrial espionage. Hans-Olof tells him that his daughter Kristina has been kidnapped and that he is being blackmailed into voting for the nominated Sofia Hernández Cruz. Although Gunnar despises Hans-Olof, he promises to help him for the sake of his niece. The mutual antipathy stems from the fact that Hans-Olof was drunk and caused a car accident in which his wife, Gunnar's sister, died. In turn, he accuses Gunnar of driving him into alcohol by sowing discord between the spouses.

Gunnar is released through his brother-in-law's contacts and tries to track down the conspiracy. He breaks into the office of a pharmaceutical company in Stockholm; Gunnar suspects that this company is behind the blackmail. He barely escapes the police. Always on the desperate search for clues to Kristina's whereabouts, further break-ins follow without him finding his niece.

After Gunnar Forsberg believes he has failed, he goes to Sofia Hernández Cruz under an excuse and asks her to forego the Nobel Prize at the award ceremony and instead to report publicly about the bribery and extortion. In this way, Gunnar hopes, those responsible will have to release Kristina to prevent the worst. Sofia promises to decline the award if Gunnar can answer a certain question to her satisfaction.

The next day, Gunnar visits Hans-Olof to watch the Nobel Prize ceremony and wait to see if Kristina or her kidnappers report. Gunnar tells his brother-in-law that he had been to Sofia the night before and asked her to waive the price. But on TV they see that Sofia accepts the award. Gunnar then turns to Hans-Olof, points the gun at him and asks him where Kristina is.

The last crucial question from Sofia Hernández Cruz was whether Gunnar had any proof that Kristina had really been kidnapped. He then realized that whatever actions his brother-in-law knew about were nearly foiled by the police, while others he didn't learn about went smoothly.

Hans-Olof then admits that some time ago he was tempted to sexually abuse his daughter because she reminded him so much of his late wife. Then Kristina ran away from home. As Hans-Olof knew of the imminent release of his brother-in-law and was afraid of it, he invented the story of the kidnapping. He wanted Gunnar to commit a crime and put him back in prison, this time for life.

In the end Gunnar finds his niece with the help of her teacher with her grandma, Hans-Olof's mother.

publication

Translations

  • 2006 Russian: Нобелевская премия , translated by T. Nabatnikow. (Zakharov Publishing House, Moscow) ISBN 978-5-8159-0653-2
  • 2006 Dutch: De Nobelprijs , translated by Peter de Rijk. (Karakter Uitgevers) ISBN 90-6112-055-1
  • 2007 Finnish: Nobel-palkinto , translated by Petra Kakko. (Perhemediat Oy, Helsinki) ISBN 978-952-210-152-5
  • 2007 Spanish: El Premio Nobel , translated by Mariló Martín. (Roca Editorial de Libros, SL, Barcelona) ISBN 978-84-96791-50-3